Mapping 15 12 9 6 3 BRIGHT 0 FUTURES 15 12 9 6 2017–2018 3 ANNUAL0 REPORT Sponsor a Child Supporters Discuss Their 20-Year Commitment Alumna Voices Her Story of Grit and Gesu’s Impact Learning Support Teacher Inspires Students for 10 Years Thank You to Our Generous 2017–2018 Donors 1 From the President Dear Friends of Gesu School, A Gesu education is a map to a bright future. Our dedicated community comes together to mold well-rounded, engaged students with strong character. Co-directed by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) and the Jesuits, Gesu School provides quality education to 450 students to enable them to break the cycle of poverty and violence. Our curriculum abides by the IHM tenet that “every child can learn,” meeting the needs of remedial to advanced learners. In the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, Gesu cares for the whole person. Our unique soft skills MAGIS initiative, woven into Pre-K–8th grade, fosters Motivation, Awareness, Grit, Independence, and Social Competence. Sponsor a Child Donors from Across Gesu alumni demonstrate that these approaches to education work. They are confident and poised to overcome challenges on their journeys to success. In the Country Change Children’s Lives a city where approximately 65% of public high school students graduate from high school in four years, 90% of Gesu alumni graduate high school on time, Pat and Brad Cannon reflect upon 20 years of and of those graduates, 86% go on to college or post-secondary education. commitment to faith, family, and Gesu. The pages that follow share highlights from our 2017–2018 school year and showcase how Gesu sets high expectations to ensure that our students achieve their vision for successful futures. I hope you enjoy these stories: Pat and Brad Cannon connect with Gesu alumni attending a pre-college program at Boston College. • An inspiring interview with Pat and Brad Cannon, stalwart Gesu School “The alumni we met in Boston were so engaging and charismatic….They had an esteem that only Gesu can instill.” supporters for more than 20 years and via three different states • A testament to Gesu School’s holistic education and stellar faculty, from Pat and Brad Cannon’s dedication to the lessons that resonated with us from our family and that it counts. We like to give over time, an alumna who boldly confronted learning challenges and channeled Gesu community spans nearly 20 years about getting out of poverty—accountability and it’s good to have an organization we can them into a successful college career and ambitious professional goals across three states. Since 2011, they have and people believing in you. We recognized trust with a mission that we can believe in. supported students via Gesu’s Sponsor a Child those things in Gesu. We wrote a check that Program. Now in Boston, they remain closely day, probably for more than we could afford. WHY DO YOU FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT • A profile of a loyal, award-winning teacher whose individualized TO REMAIN PART OF THE GESU connected, even meeting alumni visiting We never regretted it. instruction and unceasing positivity chart the course for her students’ COMMUNITY, EVEN FROM BOSTON? achievements colleges. For the Cannons, sponsoring Gesu students intentionally paralleled raising their Pat: Every classroom we went into, the kids Pat: Through all those years, what would Thank you to our supporters, who impact lives and make a Gesu education two daughters and allowed them to pass on stood and greeted us. There was a mutual shine through were hope, optimism, possible through your time, prayer, talent, and generosity! You are an their philanthropic spirit. respect among the teachers, students, and respect, community. We felt a connection, essential part of our Gesu community. leaders. What a sense of community we felt. and our family felt a connection. We would WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GIVE TO If you set high expectations, it’s amazing put up students’ pictures and letters in our Peace and blessings, GESU, PARTICULARLY THE SPONSOR how people find a way to achieve them.Gesu kitchen and talk about them with our kids. A CHILD PROGRAM? set high expectations. We just loved that Brad: Pat and I were living in the Philadelphia standard. The alumni we met in Boston were so area and had been looking for a charity engaging and charismatic. They were WHAT HAS FUELED YOUR LONG-TERM focused on education. One parent for each excited about the world. They felt a sense of COMMITMENT TO GESU? Bryan H. Carter of us had gotten out of extreme poverty opportunity that some kids don’t find right President and CEO through faith, family, and education. On Pat: Gesu is raising future leaders with a now. We could sense it. They had an esteem an airplane, Pat read an article about Gesu in solid foundation of opportunity and faith that only Gesu can instill. P.S. I welcome you to visit Gesu School to experience our community in USA Today. We took a tour a short time after. in a loving, caring community. It’s just a action. To schedule a tour, contact the Development Office at 215-763- special place with all that it encompasses. To Brad: You can tell they are going places and 9077 or [email protected]. Stay current on Gesu news. Visit Two things really sold us. First, there was a teach kids those values and see the results, that they will get something good done when gesuschool.org. Click “Join our email list.” young teacher who had been at an exclusive it’s inspiring for us. they get there. Gesu hasn’t lost its ability to private school. He realized it wasn’t his make an impact on kids’ lives. They were mission. It was to go back to Gesu. Those kids Brad: We wanted to see a positive impact impressive and so warm, too, full of hope and adored him. Second, the young lady who gave and contribute to an organization that optimism. Their communication skills were our tour was a graduate. Throughout her life, actually demonstrates that consistently. impeccable. she explained that everyone made excuses for We’ve never hesitated for 20 years. We have Front Cover Photo: A Gesu School Pre-K student Giving children an opportunity where they explores her future career possibilities. her. At Gesu, people were the first to believe such confidence that the money not only goes can feel like they can do anything in this Photos by Sabina Louise Pierce in her and didn’t cut her any slack. These were to the right cause, but that it will be delivered world is a gift. 2 3 Lauren Robinson ’12: Award-Winning Learning Support Teacher Temple University Junior Inspires Students for 10 Years Shares Gesu’s Impact Thanks to your generosity, Gesu provides outstanding Your support shapes bright futures. education for remedial to advanced learners. A quiet, yet fierce advocate for student success, Dana Gilbert exudes endless th positivity in her English Language Arts As a 4 grader, Lauren Robinson ’12 sang at the first Gesu classroom. Her students tackle learning Gala. In 2018, she returned to the event to address an disabilities in reading. Many bring some audience of more than 300 as a strong, poised college frustration and a propensity to quit. Once student. Read excerpts from her inspiring speech. LAUREN ROBINSON ’12 she hooks them in with her unwavering Woodlynde School ’16 encouragement and books like Wonder, Temple University ’20 their attitudes shift. “They come begging Photo by David DeBalko David by Photo to read,” she says. TO FORGE SUCCESS, YOU MUST HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS. nd GESU GAVE ME THOSE TOOLS WITH WHICH I HAVE FORGED After school, she teaches reading to 2 graders in Gesu’s Youth Education for MY PATH. EVERYONE AT GESU BELIEVED IN Tomorrow (YET) literacy program. Alumni I am studying advertising with a concentration in art direction. I hope to ME. THEY KNEW MY JOURNEY WAS flock to her classroom.In 2018, Ms. use my degree to add diversity to the advertisements that we are shown UNIQUE AND CHALLENGING, BUT WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN MY Gilbert’s colleagues awarded her the every day. I also hope to do freelance work for a non-profit. I did not CORNER, THAT I COULD SOAR. Knetzger Teaching Prize. always have these ambitions or the skills to reach my goals. It took a lot of Photo by Sabina Louise Pierce hard work to map out my path to a bright future. Gesu was a landmark, a During my elementary years, I began to beacon on that map, which gave me the skills to succeed on my journey. struggle with homework. I couldn’t spell or sound out vocabulary words and consistently I BELIEVE IN BUILDING GESU IS HOME FOR ME AND HAS tested below grade-level in language arts. I RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS BEEN FOR MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE. was drowning in science and social studies DANA GILBERT AND USING STORIES AS THE CENTER I TEACH MY STUDENTS YEAR AFTER OF OUR LEARNING. YEAR. I FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO because I couldn’t remember information West Catholic Preparatory THEM. ALUMNI VISIT AND LET ME GESU DID MORE FOR ME THAN JUST STRENGTHENING from the multiple chapters I had read. High School I spend a lot of time finding books that KNOW HOW THEY ARE. IT ALWAYS MY ACADEMICS. GESU CHANGED MY LIFE. WITHOUT THE I spent countless, grueling hours at my B.A. English, La Salle will appeal to my students.